You Get What You Pay For: Penny-Pinching on Your Website May Cost You in the Long Run

by Aly Crea |

August 4, 2017

The cliché “You never get a second chance to make a first impression” couldn’t hold truer when it comes to your website. Your website is typically the first point of contact prospective clients have with your offerings, which is why it is critical to make a good impression.

Websites that are not user-friendly, are not optimized for mobile devices, are outdated, or that look cheap will certainly make a lasting impression – but not the one you want. So, what are the earmarks of a strong website? Below are some tips.

Easy to digest – Visitors should not have to search through layers of content for the information they need.

Easy to read – Trying to be overly unique by choosing a creative font or contrasting colors will only result in visitors struggling (and then giving up) on reading your site.

Easy to navigate – Less is more, so stick to a few main tabs.

Cleanly designed – When you over-design, your message gets lost.

Here are some other indications that it might be time to update your website: there is poor conversion of visitors, the site runs slow, your brand or message has changed or evolved, or worst of all, you are embarrassed to have people visit it.

How Much to Spend on a Professional Services Website

If your site only needs content updating, then paying a professional for a quick fix is perfectly fine. But this should be limited to minor updates, such as revisions to content, updating new team members’ bios and minor changes. If you need big changes, trying to make them on the cheap is penny-wise and pound-foolish.

While you don’t want to break the bank, failing to invest in your site will almost certainly cost you more in the future. We’ve seen this happen far too often. In an effort to save money on the front end, too many businesses attempt to go with the aforementioned quick, Band-Aid fix. Time and again, businesses end up paying more on the back end to fix early mistakes than they would have paid to have it done professionally from the start.

There are no hard and fast rules for how much you need to pay for your website, but there are some general guidelines which can prove helpful when considering your budget. Developers may break their fees down in a myriad of ways depending upon factors such as setup fees, monthly maintenance/updates, number of pages, functionality, whether it’s a custom or template-based site, if Search Engine Optimization is included, and other considerations.

Finding the Right Developer

Don’t be afraid to ask for bids from multiple developers. A good rule of thumb is that if a price seems too good to be true (meaning it’s significantly lower than other bids), it probably is. It’s also highly advisable to ask for referrals to developers from colleagues, peers, or other professionals who have a site you like.